[Hodgkin's disease associated with infection by human immunodeficiency virus]

We present four patients with Hodgkin's disease and human immunodeficiency virus infection (HIV). Three patients were addicts to parenteral drugs. The disease was very advanced at the time of diagnosis, stage IVB in all cases. Histologic types were mixed cellularity in two cases, nodular sclerosis in one case and it was not typifiable in the remaining case. The disturbances of cell-mediated immunity that the patients presented were those of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) as well as the infectious complications. Response to treatment was poor with a high incidence of bone marrow toxicity; three patients died during the first 3 months after the diagnosis (X = 7.3 months). We emphasize the necessity of considering different prognostic and therapeutic approaches for the HD in these patients in contrast with those of seronegative patients. We pose some questions suggested by the review of the literature and the data of this series.